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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mug — a face
  4. craft — a skill
  5. roll — a cake
  6. roll — a list
  7. craft — boats
  8. cap — of ice
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. mug — a cup
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — a lid
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. wax — in the ear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com